There are very few substantial mid-18th
century census
substitutes available for County Louth. The following Index to Rev. Dermot
MacIvor's article in the 1948 edition of the Journal of the County
Louth Archaeological and Historical Society, makes easily available a
valuable addition for further genealogical research. Father MacIvor
painstakingly transcribed the names from a list in the then State Paper
Office in Dublin Castle (now in the National Archives of Ireland). The
date of 1740 in the title of this page is an estimate, based on known
details of two people mentioned in the Corn Census, which father MacIvor
writes, places the date of the Census between 1739 and 1741. The list as
presented in the Journal is in the same order as the original, by
Barony - Parish - Townland etc. The list here is
presented in NAME order, and includes the PAGE NUMBER in the Journal for
those wishing to research further. The amount of crops produced by each
individual on the list as found in the Journal probably gives a
good idea of the comparative size of their holdings.

The Corn Census appears to be unique to County
Louth and there is no apparent reason as to why it was taken. It includes
the baronies of Upper Dundalk, Ardee, Louth and Ferrard (see map). The
list for Lower Dundalk is no longer extant. The baronies of Ardee and
Louth are treated as one.

Many of the names (as well as Townland names)
are spelled phonetically. Some are misplaced. Some are Gaelic - a classic
example being the unusual name of Dacker or McDacker which translates as
Hardman (or Harmon), deacair being the Irish for difficult
or hard.

"AN ACCOUNT of the CORN in the possession of
the Inhabitants of the County of Louth, shewing to whom belonging, in what
BARONY, PARISH, & TOWN, as Likewise the Number of BARRELS of each GRAIN
according to the Estimate made thereof, in the Several Haggards,
Barns & Storehouses."